JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Firefighters battling the Quarry Fire west of Ken Caryl in Jefferson County were holding steady and preventing the fire from jumping onto Deer Creek Canyon Road, but recreationists in the area were hindering efforts by crews to make progress on the blaze, county officials said Saturday morning.
While a “little flare up” occurred on open space land on the west side of the fire overnight, Mark Techmeyer, the director of public affairs for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, said he was proud to say no structures have been lost so far despite the flames being about a quarter-mile away from the closest homes.
As of Saturday morning, the fire was still 480 acres in size and 10% contained, he said, adding he expected containment to jump as firefighters were making a lot of progress on the fire lines.
Watch Saturday morning's briefing on the Quarry Fire in the video below:
“Today we want to warn you that you're going to see more smoke,” Techmeyer said, adding the smoke was part of firefighting operations in the west side of the fire and smoke was to be expected.
Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli told reporters during the morning briefing that the biggest concern for people in the area was knowing whether the fire had crossed Deer Creek Canyon Road.
“That was the original goal, it still is, and it has not happened at this point in time,” she said, adding weather is a concern Saturday because of the winds a potential storm might bring with it.
Recreationists hindering firefighting efforts on the Quarry Fire
While residents have cooperated with Jefferson County officials on the response to the Quarry Fire, some hikers and cyclists recreating in the area as well as people flying their drones over the past several days have hindered firefighting efforts, both Marinelli and Techmeyer said.
If a drone is seen flying in the area, “our helicopters dropping water on this fire have to land,” hindering the entire process of fighting the fire, Techmeyer said.
“That cannot happen. We are investigating to identify that person, and they will be reported to the FAA. If there's charges that can be brought, they will be brought,” he said.
Marinelli, from her part, asked that recreationists thinking about going to Jefferson County over the next several days to hike or bike to “please refrain from doing that” and “go and hike and cycle somewhere else.”
Evacuees urged to visit Dakota Ridge High School for next steps
While county officials are not ready to let the hundreds of people who were evacuated from their homes go back in, Techmeyer urged evacuees to head to Dakota Ridge High School this weekend between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to register with the county so they can obtain badges that will be useful once the re-entry process starts.
It's been four days and counting since Leanna Jepkes and Justin Gonzales left their home in the middle of the night.
“We took our three-ring circus to my gracious family that was willing to accept all of us—five adults, four kids, and six pets,” Jepkes said.
That’s how they found themselves at the Dakota Ridge High School evacuation center on Saturday morning to get their resident re-entry passes.
“We're very excited, even as much as we are grateful that we have a place to [evacuate to]. It's just it's not home, but it's very relieving that our home is still there to go to,” Gonzales said.
While there's no green light to go home yet, the distribution of re-entry passes is a sign of hope for evacuees.
“I'm just going to stand and breathe in relief that everything's there [when we return]. It's still there. I don't even know what to do, honestly, just be grateful that God, that God, saved our homes,” Gonzales said.
“We hope that to be sooner than later. I wish I could give you a day, but we’re making progress,” Techmeyer said. "We're going to keep those road closures for at least two to three days” after local residents are allowed back in, as not only people but large animals will be moving back in, he said.
No new information was shared during Saturday's morning briefing about the arson investigation now underway for the Quarry Fire. Anybody with information on the fire's origins is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office tip line at 303-271-5612. Residents are asked to check any outdoor surveillance footage if they live in the area too.
"We can use the help," Techmeyer said.
Wildfire
With arson investigation at Quarry Fire, how do arson charges work in Colorado?
Several people have reached out to donate and volunteer to help, said Cassie Pearce, the public affairs director with Jefferson County. If you'd like to help by donating food or items, you're asked to complete this form. Financial donations can be made through the American Red Cross.
FEMA has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Quarry Fire "after receiving the request... and determining that the fire threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster," per a news release.
FEMA officials said that at the time of the request from the state to receive Federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) funds, the blaze was threatening more than 750 homes and other structures in the area.
The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75% of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. The grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
Evacuation orders remain for residents in the Deer Creek Mesa, Sampson, McKinney Ranch, Murphy Gulch, Maxwell and Kuehster subdivisions. The Silver Ranch/Jennings and Silver Ranch South/Homestead South subdivisions were under pre-evacuation notices as was Hilldale Pines, Oehlmann, and the West Ranch subdivisions, according to the Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District.
So far, 575 homes have been evacuated across those six subdivisions and Techmeyer could not say when those people would be allowed back.
Road closures remain in place for South Valley Road, Deer Creek Canyon Road, South Cougar Road, Pleasant Road, West Ranch Trail and Kuester Road, Techmeyer said.
A map of the area under alert is available viewed here. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the Lookout Alert emergency notification system to keep up with the latest alerts from Jefferson County regarding the fire.
Wildfires are now a year-round threat in Colorado. Denver7 is committed to covering their impact and the people working to find solutions to the threat.